Alternative country (commonly abbreviated to alt-country; also known as alternative country rock, insurgent country, Americana, or y'allternative) is a loosely defined subgenre of

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

and/or country rock that includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream country music, mainstream country rock, and country pop. Alternative country artists are often influenced by

alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...

. Most frequently, the term has been used to describe certain country music and country rock bands and artists that are also defined as or have incorporated influences from alternative rock,

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

, heartland rock, Southern rock, progressive country, outlaw country, neotraditional country, Texas country, Red Dirt, roots rock, indie folk, folk rock, rockabilly, bluegrass, and honky tonk.

Definitions and characteristics

In the 1990s, the term ''alternative country'', paralleling alternative rock, began to be used to describe a diverse group of musicians and singers operating outside the traditions and industry of mainstream country music. Many eschewed the increasingly polished production values and pop sensibilities of the Nashville-dominated industry for a more lo-fi sound, frequently infused with a strong punk and

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...

aesthetic.K. Wolff and O. Duane, eds, ''Country Music: the Rough Guide'' (London: Rough Guides, 2000), , p. 549. Lyrics may be bleak or socially aware, but also more heartfelt and less likely to use the clichés sometimes used by mainstream country musicians. In other respects, the musical styles of artists that fall within this genre often have little in common, ranging from traditional American folk music and bluegrass, through rockabilly and honky-tonk, to music that is indistinguishable from mainstream rock or country. This already broad labeling has been further confused by alternative country artists disavowing the movement, mainstream artists declaring they are part of it, and retroactive claims that past or veteran musicians are alternative country. '' No Depression'', the best-known magazine dedicated to the genre, declared that it covered "alternative-country music (whatever that is)".

History

Alternative country drew on traditional American country music, the music of working people, preserved and celebrated by practitioners such as Woody Guthrie, Hank Williams, and the Carter Family, often cited as major influences.G Smith, ''Singing Australian: a History of Folk and Country Music'' (Melbourne: Pluto Press Australia, 2005), , p. 134. Another major influence was country rock, the result of fusing country music with a rock & roll sound. The third factor was

, which supplied an energy and DIY attitude.K. Wolff and O. Duane, eds, ''Country Music: the Rough Guide'' (London: Rough Guides, 2000), , p. 396. Attempts to combine punk and country had been pioneered by a number of bands prior to 1990, including Nashville's Jason and the Scorchers,

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

’s American Music Club, and the Minneapolis-based band the Jayhawks, along with the 1980s Southern Californian cowpunk scene with bands such as the Long RydersW. C. Malone, ''Country Music, U.S.A.'' (Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2nd edn., 2002), , p. 451. and X. However, the “alt country” label did not gain popularity among music journalists until the release of Uncle Tupelo's 1990 LP '' No Depression'', which has been credited as being the first "alt-country" album. It is also the namesake of the online notice board and eventually

magazine A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...

that underpinned the movement.C. Smith, ''101 Albums That Changed Popular Music'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009), , pp. 204–9.M. Deming, "No Depression Bonus Tracks" ''Allmusic'', retrieved January 26, 2009. They released three more influential albums, signing to a major label, before they broke up in 1994, with members and figures associated with them going on to form three major bands in the genre: Wilco, Son Volt and Bottle Rockets. Bottle Rockets signed, along with acts like Freakwater, Old 97's and Robbie Fulks, to the Chicago-based indie label, Bloodshot, who pioneered a version of the genre under the name ''insurgent country''.K. Wolff and O. Duane, eds, ''Country Music: the Rough Guide'' (London: Rough Guides, 2000), , p. 550. The bands Blue Mountain, Whiskeytown, Blood Oranges and Drive-By Truckers further developed this tradition before most began to move more in the direction of rock music in the 2000s.K. Wolff and O. Duane, eds, ''Country Music: the Rough Guide'' (London: Rough Guides, 2000), , pp. 549–92.

References

;Notes ;Bibliography * Alden, Grant; & Blackstock, Peter (1998). ''No Depression: An Introduction to Alternative Country Music. Whatever That Is''. Dowling Pr. . * Goodman, David (1999). ''Modern Twang: An Alternative Country Music Guide and Directory''. Dowling Pr. . * * * Hogeland, William (March 14, 2004),
Emulating the Real and Vital Guthrie, Not St. Woody
, ''New York Times''.

External links

from American Studies at the University of Virginia {{DEFAULTSORT:Alternative Country Country music genres

Definitions and characteristics

History

See also

References

External links